The vampire is the result of a genetic mutation

Interview with a vampire (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Published the 07.09.2017 at 16: 30

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vampireshématologie

A person in the face pallid and tired, sensitive to light, and coming out only at night… Here is the description of a computer scientist or a vampire. By adding the consumption of blood, the doubt disappears.

But this stereotype of the vampire is strangely close to the symptoms of a rare disease, which affects fewer than one in 75 000. This is the erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). The pathology, including the main event is the photosensitivity of the skin, typically appears in childhood.

Researchers at the Boston Children’s Hospital (Usa) have identified a gene in the chromosome 15 whose responsibility is engaged in the development of this disease. They publish their findings in the journal PNAS.

The vampires anemic

In affected people, the skin is so sensitive that prolonged exposure to light, including natural light, can cause blisters are painful and disfiguring. But this is not the only symptom.

“People with EPP suffer from chronic anemia, which causes significant fatigue and makes it look very pale, with an increased photosensitivity,” says Dr. Barry Paw, a hematologist at Children’s Hospital Boston. They can’t go out in the open, because even on cloudy days, the ultraviolet rays are sufficient to cause blisters and disfigurement on the exposed areas of the body, like the ears and the nose. “